Ashes to Ashes
by xx.faith
Summary: what if Sakura wasn't the last person that saw Sasuke before he left for Sound? mild sasuino, quotes taken from the anime. Oneshot


what I wanted to happen (and like to think happened) when sasuke left to join Sound.

"_Quotes taken from the anime"_

'talking'

'_Ino's thoughts'_

Ashes to Ashes

'Chouji…you're ALWAYS hungry…' Ino let out an exasperated sigh but followed her team mates to the nearest ramen stand anyway. They had just finished their training for the day and was going home before Chouji suggested the ramen stand. Shikamaru muttered something under his breath which Ino assumed was 'troublesome'.

'Naruto…your still here? Hmm.. What happened to Forehead girl?' Ino had seen them eating when she left for the meeting spot and here we was now, approximately 3 hours later. Taking in another slurp of ramen, he replied in between bites.

'Sakura-chan? Ah…I think she went home slurp but she was acting slurp strange…' _ 'Strange, huh?' _Ino thought,

'When did she leave?' she asked before thinking, its not like she cared about whatever happened to Sakura. It was she who left her and so, Ino could care less about what she does, unless of course, she's going to see Sasuke. That's right, she wanted to make sure Sakura wasn't with Sasuke.

'Uhmm... I think a few minutes ago, the same way you guys came from. Didn't you see her?' Came his concerned reply. That's right, Forehead girl lived on the same side of town they had just came from…so why hadn't they seen her on the way?

'Oh really? Well, in that case, I'm going to go look for her…just to make sure she doesn't contaminate Sasuke-kun with her ugliness !' She quickly added the last part before going off the opposite side that her team had come from.

_'Why would she come this way? This place leads to Konoha gates…' _ She picked up her speed when she heard voices, but made sure to stay quiet as to make sure she remains hidden.

_"I know about your clan, but revenge.. that won't make anyone happy…no one…neither you…nor I" _She heard Sakura say as clouds started to cover the full moon that provided the little light there was, she saw tears at the corner of her eyes. _'Crying again? Is that Sasuke-kun? What are they doing here?' _

_  
"Just as I thought. I'm different from you guys. I walk a different than you guys. I tried to think that it was my path to do the things we've done up until now. The four of us did things together, but my heart decided on revenge in the end. That's my purpose in life. I can't become like you or Naruto. "_

_'That bastard! Who does he think he is? This was the guy they ended their friendship for? The guy that Sakura chose over the friendship they had? Well, I suppose it serves her right.' _ Ino could barely believe the words that came out of Sasuke's mouth, she felt anger boil up inside her _'he was just going to leave…'_, but decided to stay put when she heard Sakura speak.

_"Are you going to choose to be alone again?! On that day, you taught me that solitude is painful! I understand that so well now. I have family, I have friends, but if you're gone…to me…it'll be the same as being alone."_ Ino couldn't help but scoff at her words. _'Friends she didn't give up for the sake of a crush.' _ Ino thought bitterly

_"From now on…a new path will open for all of us."_

_"I…I love you so much! If you stay with me, I'll make sure you won't regret it! Every day will be fun. We'll definitely be happy. I'll do anything for you. So…Please! Stay here! I'll help you with your revenge! I'll do something! So please stay here…with me! If you can't stay, take me with you."_ Sakura's body started to shake as she continued to sob and it took all of Ino's willpower not to laugh out at how pathetic her ex-friend looked and sounded.

_"You really are annoying."_ was Sasuke's response, Sakura stared wide eyed at him as he started to walk off.

_"Don't leave!" _She runs towards him, stopping a few feet away before continuing to yell. _"If you do, I'll scream!" _Then, suddenly, Sasuke was behind her, and time seemed to have stopped, nothing was moving except for the wind that played with the leaves. Ino held her breath as she watched the drama unfold before her.

With both backs faced towards her, she could barely see or hear anything. Then, with a single moment, Sakura was down and on the floor, Sasuke continuing his trek out of the village. Ino couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't just let him leave without an explanation.

'You're just going to leave, not even a goodbye?' Bitterness dripped off every word she carelessly spat in hopes of getting his attention. He stopped walking and turned around to face her.

'Ino…you know this has to be done. I have a clan to avenge." His voice was not the usual hard tone he had previously used in his conversation with Sakura. Before the Uchiha massacre, they had been pretty close. Him, Shikamaru and her, their families were pretty close, but after the death of the Uchihas, the Naras and Yamanakas didn't like to talk much about the Uchihas.

'But what if you don't come back? You know what that snake bastard can do, he's probably just luring you in for something big." was Ino's protest, but it came in one ear and out the next as Sasuke tried to make her understand.

'You may be right, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. As long as it gives me the power I require to kill him, I will do anything I can…even joining that bastard' She knew his mind was set and no amount of persuasion would talk him out of going. Unlike Sakura, she knew when to stop and when to keep going. They were both fighting for a lost cause, and she just wished she had made the right choice by not doing more to stop him.

Sighing in defeat, she looked the other way, pretending she never saw him, simply muttering a few words before she started to walk towards Sakura's body, which lay discarded during their conversation 'Go, Shikamaru or Chouji might come looking for me soon. You better leave before they come.' Picking her up, she put her on the bench 'I can at least give you this, Sakura…' She didn't want to leave her there, but she didn't want to leave her on the floor either, and if she took her home, then it would be obvious she had been present.

After making sure Sakura was safely on the bench, Ino made her way towards home, before Sasuke popped up behind her, similar to the way he appeared behind Sakura only moments before. 'I'm sorry Ino…I'll come back, after I kill Itachi…' As much as she wanted to believe him, she didn't, simply because she didn't want to wait for him like she knew Sakura would, so she simply nodded numbly, before both walked their separate paths. Him, out the gates, and her the way she had come, with Sakura lying in the middle on the bench.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, maybe one day, he'll come back to Konoha too.

END

Sorry if it was bad...my first try at SasuIno..


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